1.
Time had passed once again.
It had been a month since the child named Luna had been found.
Mother’s impression of Luna, compared to the other children, could be summed up in one word.
Stupid child.
“Mommy!”
“…Luna.”
A child who, as if she had never been loved even once since birth, would come close and rub her cheeks against anyone who simply provided water, food, and bedding.
“I told you not to wander around recklessly, didn’t I? Though you might dislike it, go back inside.”
“Ah! That’s right, that’s right.”
“…?”
Creeeak.
Clank.
“Is that all?”
“…Yes.”
This innocent child would absolutely follow any of Mother’s words.
Unlike the other children who cried all the time, Luna was always cheerful.
Was that why?
“Mommy! Do you want to eat this?”
“That’s a bribe.”
“Yep! It’s crispy and delicious! Ah, it’s a secret from the other kids…! But since you’re my mom, I’ll make an exception this time…!!”
“…I’m good.”
“Ah! Then I’ll eat it!”
When Mother was with Luna, she felt as if the single thread of goodness she had always clung to was becoming a little more vivid.
And it wasn’t just a feeling; Mother’s actions had indeed begun to change as well.
“Pass this on to the children. Tell them not to cry during tomorrow’s auction.”
“Okay!”
“…No. I’ll tell them myself.”
“Okay okay! But the kids say they get scared to death whenever you tell them to smile, Mommy!”
“…Maybe I should adjust my tone.”
“Okie-dokie! Mommy’s the best!”
While previously cold, her words became softer as she whispered them to the children.
“If a noble who buys you shows any signs of trying something terrible during the auction, run away at the right moment and place a named request with Mercenary Guild Union The One.”
She provided more detailed escape routes so they could evade the worst-case scenarios.
Mother knew it well.
Doing this wouldn’t erase the sins she had already committed, nor would it stop the children from dying.
Only a few would end up with decent nobles; the majority would be horrifically sacrificed based on the purchaser’s intentions.
Surely one day, she would pay for her sins and suffer so much that dying might seem better.
Still.
“Keep smiling brightly. That’s how you survive.”
Living this way was better than doing nothing.
Her prediction came true.
“1,000,000 gold.”
“…Bid number one. Purpose?”
“The same as before.”
The executions by the bidder who killed through crying grew worse day by day.
“Me! 100,000 gold!”
“110,000 gold!”
“Damn, who would spend 110,000 gold on someone with scars?”
“So what! As long as the face is fine, right?! Hey, I’ll offer 150,000 gold!”
Corrupt nobles would purchase the orphans as long as they had no major flaws, and soon afterward, the bodies of the sold orphans would return to the wasteland.
Though Mother was regaining her goodness thanks to Luna, knowing this fact made it all the more painful.
How many children died today?
Five?
No, eight, wasn’t it?
What were their names?
I should remember them.
What were their names?
Because the scale that had leaned toward Selena’s life finally tipped evenly.
Each of them, whether as young as Selena or even younger, had dreams they proudly talked about achieving.
Even if I tell them the way to survive, the probability of success is extremely low.
…I knew it all along.
While I’m doing this, the children will keep dying.
“…Guh!!”
At last, fully facing her sins, Mother began vomiting.
How many lives have I sold to save Selena?
And how many more lives will I have to sell for Selena to awaken?
And even if you wake up,
“I’ll become a strong mercenary like mom!”
Will I be able to treat you the same way again?
Plop.
Something that had barely come together again shattered with a short cracking sound.
Yes.
Because I used to be this kind of person.
If the people I love can be safe, I’m willing to walk any path.
“…Because I’m a mom.”
Click.
Mother, who wore the mask again, cried for a long time.
Even while crying, she strived and continuously made efforts.
Even if I have to hide within the mask eventually, I will make effort not to cry.
Because I’m not someone who deserves to cry.
A few days passed.
“Eh…? Mommy?”
“Follow me. Luna.”
“Eh, e-e-e?! W-what’s wrong with my face?!”
It’s better than dying.
Once again, Mother gave Luna a scar on her face.
This way, at least she wouldn’t fall into the hands of trash and suffer harsh fates.
Repeated every day.
“Keep smiling brightly. That’s how you survive.”
“Alright, try smiling a little more.”
“Even brighter, smile like your mouth will split.”
“That’s how you survive.”
Though slightly kinder toward Luna compared to the other children, her voice still remained cold.
“Don’t tremble. That’s how you survive.”
“When it gets too hard, cry behind a mask.”
“Keep making efforts, and make more effort.”
“One day, you’ll be able to smile while wearing a mask.”
For the sake of saving Luna, Mother made every effort and kept on trying her best.
That was the only way.
The only method the Mother had found through compromise – a way to save both Selena and Luna.
Because of this, Mother was plagued with doubt.
…If the time comes when I can only choose between Selena and Luna…
What should I do?
Amidst such doubts and anxieties, she passed each day by trembling constantly…
“….That day, you, Black Wolf, came and wiped everything out, just like today.”
And I…
“Managed to protect both of them because of you.”
…….
2.
Rogue Guild – Dissolution.
Just as the name suggests, all the surrounding characters disappeared.
Back to the original world.
Amid the torn tents and dust-filled place, only Mother and Nahan remained.
With heavy steps, Mother, whose form reappeared with the mental world, approached.
Although Nahan instinctively moved his hand toward his waist, she shook her head and raised both her hands.
“I’m not stupid enough to fight a monster like you. Anyway, my remaining consciousness will vanish in a few tens of seconds, so don’t get too worked up.”
A flat tone.
Perhaps her emotions were suppressed so much that they disappeared; her tone and actions were rough, but precisely because of that, it was evident how genuine her words were.
Finally withdrawing his hand from the sword hilt, Nahan looked at her and asked.
“Why are you showing me this?”
“Struggling.”
With a brief reply, Mother gestured at the empty space in front of her.
Whoosh.
A portion of the space tore open, revealing the scenery outside the mental world.
Mother holding my ankle,
A furious Laktea,
And Luna, who was still lying unconscious.
Though unclear why, it was evident that time had stopped.
Tut.
Mother, gazing at Luna reflected in the scenery, muttered softly.
“What a pitiful child. Ever since she was born, she was abandoned here and never received proper love.”
For a moment, her eyes sparkled behind the mask.
“I thought I was saving her, but the one truly saved was me. Maybe that’s why I tried even harder to protect her.”
Her hand, resting on the image, moved as if trying to feel some warmth, but it just rippled like a water surface. She couldn’t feel any warmth.
I looked at such Mother and casually asked.
“So, what’s your point?”
“Point?”
“You said ‘struggling,’ right?”
“Ah. Sorry. I just get lost in thought whenever I look at Luna.”
Only now averting her gaze from Luna, Mother approached me and knelt down.
“I wish you could save her.”
At her calm tone, Nahan pondered for a moment and quietly repeated.
“Didn’t you say you were going to disappear anyway?”
“…Hmm?”
“?”
“…Ah.”
It was then that Mother, sensing something unusual, glanced up at Nahan and smiled faintly.
“I was talking about Luna.”
“?!”
From the beginning, Nahan only intended to handle Mother.
“That’s what it looks like.”
Only then did the tension subside, and Mother sat casually, leaning slightly to the side.
“Though different from the <Black Wolf> I encountered before…this feels more reassuring.”
At that moment when Mother muttered softly,
A blue shard appeared, and part of the mental world crumbled.
It was the same for Mother; noticing her own hand fading, she sighed and muttered.
“It’s a shameless request, but I hope you can teach her an ordinary life.”
“An ordinary life?”
“Exactly. Not a life where she fears death every day and forces herself to smile to survive, but a truly ordinary life.”
It was clear the person Mother was speaking about was Luna.
“One where she doesn’t do dangerous things, makes friends, falls in love. She marries, has children, raises them, and lives happily with everyone… Teach her that this is what an ordinary life truly is. And…”
…Gasp.
Mother, squeezing her fading hand tightly and hesitating for a while, finally said painfully.
“I… didn’t…”
…Love you, Luna.
“I am merely a heinous criminal, not someone you should admire.”
A heavy silence enveloped as Mother, who used to force a smile beneath the mask.
Nahan, who had turned his head slightly, looked behind Mother and spoke.
“If that’s true… How about you, Luna?”
The next moment.
“…Mommy.”
“…!”
In the hand of Mother, who was growing transparent, a thin beam of light flickered.
